HOPE FOR THE FUTURE AS PRIDE IS RESTORED

THE sun has set on another championship adventure for the Boys in Green but thankfully this time around there’s reason to be positive about the future.

A week is a long time in politics, none more so than the days of upheaval just gone, but sometimes the same can be said of sport.

This time last week, after the no-show against Belgium, the outlook for the Irish team was as glum as David Cameron’s face on Friday morning, and it seemed like another ignominious early departure was on the cards.

However, the performance and fully-deserved win against Italy lifted the hearts and minds of the nation, as we rejoiced as one after coming through a difficult group to reach the knockout stages.

We moved on to Sunday with hope rather than expectation, but with Ireland leading against firm favourites France as the hour mark approached we dared to dream of a place in the quarter-finals.

Sadly it wasn’t to be as tiredness and the brilliance of Antoine Griezmann put paid to any fantastical notions, but the players can’t be faulted for effort as they gave it their all for the cause.

With the oldest squad in the tournament and a number of international retirements in the offing, it goes without saying that fresh blood will be needed sooner rather than later, but there’s still a strong core there and players like Robbie Brady, Seamus Coleman, Jeff Hendrick, Shane Long and Darren Randolph, who have been shining lights in France, can lead us to the World Cup in Russia in 2018.

Shortly after the sharp shrill of the final whistle, and not able for the downbeat analysis, I quickly switched from our new national hero with Brady on his back to a team of flustering footballers with Brady emblazoned across the front of their jerseys, and it was a fairly ham-fisted attempt by both Kildare and Westmeath to produce any kind of fluent football. As if I wasn’t depressed enough!

I normally don’t feel like dozing off at 5’o’clock in the afternoon, but the Leinster championship semi-final was more effective than Temazepam in that regard.

Looking at the slow-paced, sideways shuffling was like watching an inebriated spider crab struggling to make his way through unbearably hot sand.

An almost paralysing fear of losing seems to outweigh the will to win in the modern game.

Westmeath did briefly stir me from my slumber when they scored 1-5 without reply, but it was soon back to toing and froing like rocking a heavy-eyed baby in your arms.

The defensive mindset is simply killing Gaelic football and if something isn’t done to address the problem attendances will continue to plummet like world markets.

Having said that, most of what I saw in the Euros on Saturday was no better, particularly in the Portugal versus Croatia match, when the players on view would surely have struggled to belt a cow’s arse with a banjo.

Speaking of being wide of the mark, there were calls for a civic reception for the Irish team which, let’s be honest, is nothing short of ridiculous.

The players did themselves and the country proud, as did the fans, but reaching the last 16 of a tournament that contained only 24 countries is not worth wheeling out the back-patting dignitaries for.

You could be pretty sure it’s the last thing the players would want and they’d probably be more than a little embarrassed by the prospect of a cringeworthy celebration that would more than likely be hijacked by attention-seeking politicians.

The players deserve a break after a long, hard season and probably just want to go on holidays with their families or return to England - that’s if they’re still welcome there after voters across the water made the most questionable decision since some young one and a dog won Britain’s Got Talent.

In contrast to four years ago in Poland, when the performances were nothing short of an embarrassment, Irish players have come out of this tournament with their reputations enhanced and the future happily looks a hell of a lot brighter.

Now it’s time for the players to sit back, put their feet up, relax and take stock.

Thanks for the memories.